Unmanned drones group hires PR firm for rebranding effort

A flurry of negative press last week—including urging from conservatives to ban drones over U.S. airspace—has left those who make the drones to pick up the pieces. The fire was also fueled by a YouTube video that went viral of an alleged drone flying over a Chicago suburb leading up to the NATO Summit.

The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has hired an unnamed PR firm to help bolster the public’s perception of drones. Speaking to Salon.com, AUVSI president Michael Toscano started by renaming drones “remotely piloted vehicles.” Is that to remind us that humans are somehow involved?

Possibly. He went on to explain to Salon:

“We need to get people to understand that with UAV [unmanned aviation vehicles] there is always a person in the loop and on the loop [meaning monitoring the aircraft's activities]. These systems don’t go in the air without being safe and reliable.”

A similar effort launched in the U.K. in February, when the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association launched “a long-term public relations effort to counter the negative image of the controversial aircraft,” according to The Guardian.